Thursday nights, students trickle in through the doors of the Wesley United Methodist Church to come together as the Unity Gospel Choir.

The group of students, conversing before rehearsal, quickly transform into a mass of sound as the leader of song for the night, Darius Davis, has the choir repeat what he has just sung.

The chapel soon becomes alive with singing, clapping, tapping and snapping as students sway in place.

Excitement and emotion were seen on the faces of choir members as they continued to sing a piece they had just learned moments ago.

Quiana Stone, Unity Gospel Choir adviser and complex director of Carman Hall, said they do not turn anyone away.

She said being non-denominational and being made up of only students makes Unity Gospel Choir unique.

Unity Gospel Choir, celebrating its 40th anniversary, is made up of more than 30 students and counting.

“Each week it keeps growing,” Stone said.

Nakeya Skinner, a freshman undecided major, is new to the choir this school year.

Skinner, who sang with her family choir in Chicago, said she came to Unity Gospel Choir’s rehearsal at the start of the school year to continue singing.

“I just got a family feel from joining the choir,” Skinner said. “When you first walked in, everybody knew each other in practice.”

Jerimiah Murray, a junior special education major, said he came to his first rehearsal and knew it was the choir for him.

“I came and I knew that this was my home,” Murray said. “Unity is love; Unity is family.”

The shared love of God is what brings the group together to get that family feeling said Murray.

Students often interact with each other outside of rehearsals.

“We don’t come in and sing and leave,” Davis said.

But all in all, Davis said Unity Gospel Choir is “about the closeness of God.”

When singing, Davis often feels this closeness as well as Murray, who has entered rehearsal before with stresses and left encouraged.

The group also finds closeness to God with events outside of rehearsal such as bible studies.

Stone said even if a student is not the best at singing, they are still welcome to be a part of Unity Gospel Choir.

Sam Bohne can be reached at 581-7942 or shbohne@eiu.edu.